Lighter structure



April 11, 1961 F. w. ATCHLEY LIGHTER STRUCTURE Filed Dec. 19, 1957 jz 33 241 2a iiz% A 7'TOP/VEY5 United StatesPatent O 2,978,889 V LIGHTER STRUCTURE mm W. Atchley, 8221 Lois Ave, Sunnyvale, cant. Filed Dec. 19, 1957, Ser. No. 703,883 Claims. (Cl. 67- -7 .1)

This invention relates generally to a lighter structure and more particularly to a pipe lighter structure.

It is a general object of the present invention to provide a pipe lighter in which the functional mechanism is adapted to be encased in a thin compact casing. I

It is another object of the present invention to provide a pipe lighter which is thin and compact for pocket portability, is highly efiicient in operation, and is easy to i nite.

g It is an another object of the present invention to provide a pipe lighter in which a venturi tube having a wick extending into the same cooperates with a bowl cover whereby when the bowl cover is rested against the pipe bowl air is drawn downwardly through the venturi tube so that the flame is drawn into the pipe bowl with maximum efiiciency.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a pipe lighter of the above character which has maximum fuel capacity for its compact construction.

It is anotherobject of the present invention to provide a pipe lighter which includes a thin flat fuel tank with one end of the fuel tank forming a rounded bowl cover with a venturi tube passing through the tank centrally to the bowl cover. I

It is another object of the present invention to provide a pipe lighter including a bowl cover and venturi tube cooperating therewith and having a wick disposed within the venturi tube at the point of constriction of the venturi tube so that when the bowl cover is rested against a pipe bowl and air is drawn downwardly, the flame is drawn into the pipe bowl with maximum efliciency, and permitting use of the lighter from either side.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a pipe lighter which includes a thin flat fuel tank open at one end and forming a bowl cover at its other end with a venturi tube passing through the fuel tank at said other end whereby air is drawn through the venturi tube.

when the cover is placed on a pipe bowl. Said other end also serves tocarry igniting means which serve to ignite a wick extending into the venturi tube.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a pipe lighter of the character described with a thin outer case which houses the working parts of the lighter. Said case includes a lower part which slidably receives the fuel tank and a cover hinged thereto. The side walls of the upper and lower parts of the case and cover are cut away with cooperating convex and concave cuts. When the cover is open, the concave cut in the lower portion serves to cooperate with the pipe bowl to position the bowl cover and venturi tube. When the cover is closed, the cover serves to close the ends of the venturi tube to minimize evaporation from the wick.

These and other objects of the invention will become more clearly apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a lighter in accordance with the invention showing the casing with the cover closed;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the lighter of Figure l with the cover open and showing the upper portion of the fuel tank;

Figure 3 is an elevational view of the lighter as shown -of the casing are cut-away to form a concave cut as indicated at 14 adapted to cooperate with the pipe bowl. The side walls of the cover 12 have downwardly extending convex portions lfi-which are adapted to register with the cut-away portion 14 to form. an enclosed hous ing, as shown in Figure 1. The hinge may comprise a pivot pin 17 and leaves 18 and 19 pivotally engaging said pin and suitably attached to the base 11 and cover 12.

A spring lever attachment serves to selectively hold the cover in an opened or closed position. The attach men-t includes a flat spring 21 which may be suitably attached, as by soldering, to the fuel tank as indicated in Figure 4, or which may be suitably attached to the easing as indicated in Figure 5. A lever 22 is suitably at-' tached, as by soldering, to the cover and has its end portion 23 abutting against the upper end 24 of the spring.

Thus, the spring 24 serves to urge the cover in an open position as indicated in Figures 2 and 4, or in a closed position asindicated in Figure 5.

The fuel tank includes side walls 26 and 27, 28 and 29. The side walls 26 and 27 extend upwardly and are rounded as indicated at 31 to conform to the shape of a pipe bowl. Thus, a fuel tank is formed having an open lower end and a closed upper end. The side walls each include an opening 32 adapted to receive a venturi tube 33. The tube 33 is suitably secured to the adjacent portions of the side walls. A wick tube 34 is suitably 'secured to the venturi tube, as for example, by soldering or brazing. The wick 36 extends upwardly through the wick tube 34 into the venturi tube 33 in the region of construction of the tube (throat). The venturi tube has a portion 37 which extends outwardly and is suitably secured, for example, by soldering to the wall 29. The other end is suitably secured to the wall 28. A flint tube 38 may be suitably secured to the portion 37, as for exstrike wheel. A retaining screw 43 is suitably threaded" to the lower end of the hint tube 38.

Absorbent material 44, adapted to be saturated with fuel, is disposed in the fuel tank. The material 44 may, for example, be cotton.

A strike wheel pin 46 has its ends suitably carried by the spaced walls 26 and 27 and rotatably receives the strike wheel 47. It is observed that the strike wheel can be relatively wide thereby presenting a better surface to the finger.

In manufacture, the fuel tank may he formed as a deep drawn or impact extruded shell which includes the side walls 26, 27, 28 and 29. The openings for the tube 33 and strike wheel 47 are punched out and then tube 33 is suitably soldered to the adjacent portions of the side walls to complete the fuel tank. The fuel tank has an' added. fuel capacity corresponding to the volume in the upper portion 48 adiacent the venturi tube 33.

It may be desirable in certain instances to form the complete fuel tank as a single casting. -A fuel tank of the, type illustrated in Figure may be made as a single Casting. The tank of Figure 5 includes the venturi tube 33, side walls 26, 27, 28 and 29, wick tube 34,-and a tube 49. which is adapted to receive the flinttube- 38.

It is observed that when the cover 1 2 is closed it slidably rides over the side walls 26 and 27 of the fuel tank to thereby close the ends of the venturi tube 33 Evaporation from the wick is minimized.

-As described, the novel lighter includes a fuel tank which carries the Working parts and: has the bowl cover and. venturi tube formed integral therewith. However, the invention is not to be limited in this respect since some of the novel features described may be employed with other types of. construction. For example, the efii-- cient compact structure may be achieved, at the sacrificeof, some fuel capacity, by making the working. parts, bowl and venturi tube as a sub-assembly which is attached to the top of a fuel tank. I

To use the lighter, the cover is opened and the bowl cover is placed in registry with the top of the pipe bowl. The concave cut-away on. the sides of the casing aids in positioning the lighter. Air is drawn downwardly into the pipe. bowl causing the flame to be drawn downwardly into the pipe bowl and light the pipe.

Thus, it is seen that there is provided a pipe lighter in which the functional mechanism can be encased in a thin compact case which may easily' and neatly be carried in the pocket. The combination of bowl cover and venturi. tube wi h wick extending into the tube provides alighter in which the flame is efliciently drawn down into the bowl at a relatively high velocity. In the preferred embodiment,,the fuel tank has maximum fuel capacity for the compact flat structure provided.

,I. claim:

1. A pipe lighter comprising. a relatively thin compact casing including a lower portion and a cover hinged thereto, a pipe bowl cover extending upwardly from said lower portion and adapted to fit over a pipe bowl, a venturi tube including a throat portion cooperating with said bowl cover, a wick extending into the throat portion of said venturi tube, and means for igniting the wick, said bowl; cover serving. to cause the air to be drawn downwardly through the venturi tube to provide an eflicient lighting action. a

2'. A pipe lighter comprising a relatively thin compact casing including a lower portion and a cover hinged thereto,, a pipe bowl cover extending upwardly from said lower portion and adapted to fit over a pipe bowl, a venturi tube cooperating with said bowl cover, a wick extending into said venturi tube and disposed substantially halfway between the ends of said tube, and means for igniting the wick, said bowl cover serving to cause air to be drawn downwardly through the venturi tube to provide an efficient lighting action.

3. A pipe lighter comprising a relatively thin compact casing including a lower portion and a cover hinged thereto, said casing having substantially parallel side walls, an opposed pair of said side walls of said lower portion of said casing having a cut-out concave portion, a pipe bowl cover extending upwardly from said lower portion and adapted to fit over a pipe bowl, said cut-out concave portion serving to position the bowl cover on the pipe bowl, a venturi tube including a throat portion cooperating with said bowl cover, a wick extending into the throat portion of said venturi tube, and means for igniting the wick.

'4. 'A pipe lighter comprising a relatively thin compact casing including a lower portion and a cover hinged thereto, a pipe bowl cover extending upwardly from said lower portion and adapted to fit over a pipe bowl, a venturi tube including a throat portion cooperating with said bowl cover, a wick extending into the throat portion of said venturi tube, and means for igniting said wick, said cover adapted to close the ends of the venturi tube whereby evaporation from the wick is minimized.

5. A pipe lighter comprising a relatively thin compact casing, a fuel tank slidably carried within said casing, the upper portion of said fuel tank extending upwardly from the lower portion of said casing and forming a bowl cover and venturi tube including a throat portion, and a wick carried by said tank and extending into the throat portion of said venturi tube. V

6. A pipe lighter including an internal fuel tank having spaced side walls, said fuel tank being rounded at one end to form a bowl cover, a venturi tube including a throat portion extending through said tank at said one end and terminating at the spaced side walls, a wick extending into the throat portion of said venturi tube, and means for lighting the wick carried by said tank, said bowl cover serving to cause, air to be drawn downwardly through the tube to cause the flame to efliciently light the pipe.

7. A pipe lighter including an internal fuel tank having spaced side walls, one end of said fuel tank forming a pipe bowl cover, a venturi tube extending through said tank at said one end and terminating at the spaced side walls, a wick extending into said tube in a region sub-, stantially halfway between the ends of the venturi tube, and means for lighting the wick carried by said tank, said pipe bowl cover serving to cause air to be drawn inwardly through the tube to cause the flame to efiiciently light the pipe, the location'of' said wick permitting the use of the lighter from either end of the venturi tube.

8. A pipe lighter comprising a relatively thin compact casing including a lower portion and a cover hinged thereto and adapted to be held in an open or closed position, a fuel tank including spaced side walls, one end of said fuel tank forming a pipe bowl cover, a venturi tube including a throat portion extending through said tank at said one end and terminating at the spaced side walls, a wick extending into the throat portion of said tube, means for lighting the wick carried between the side walls of said tank, said cover in its closed position serving to close the ends of the venturi tube whereby evaporation from the wick is minimized.

- 9. A pipe lighter comprising a relatively thin compact casing including a lower portion and a cover hinged thereto, means for selectively holding the cover in an openv or closed position, a fuel tank including spaced side walls slidably carried within the lower portion of the casing, one end of said fuel tank forming a pipe bowl cover, a venturi tube including a throat portion extending through said tank at said end and terminating at the spaced side walls, a wick extending into the throat portion of said tube, means for lighting the wick carried by said tank, said bowl cover serving to cause air to flow downwardly through the tube to cause the flame to efliciently light a pipe, said cover in its closed position serving to close the adjacent ends of the venturi tube whereby evaporation from the wick is minimized.

10. A pipe lighter comprising a fuel tank including spaced side walls, said fuel tank being rounded at one end to form a bowl cover, a venturi tube including a throat portion extending through said tank at said one end and terminating at the spaced side walls, a wick extending into said tube substantially midway betweenv the ends of the same, a strike wheel mounted between the side walls of the fuel tank, and means carried by the tank serving to hold a flint in operable relationship with respect to the strike wheel whereby the wick may be ignited, said bowl cover serving to cause air to be drawn downwardly through the tube to cause the flame to el'ficiently light a pipe.

(References on following page),

5 Monaco: Cited imhe file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 222,752 Gimera Mar. 3, 1936 673,343 Ward Dec. 9, 1947 5 674-634 Paige Dec. 23, 1952 Eggleston Mar. 3, 1953 Size! Apr. 17, 1956 6 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Oct. 9, 1924 Great Britain June 11, 1952 Great Britain June 25, 1952 

